Drapery track and roller assembly



May 20,. 1952 c. s. CHARRON ETAL. 2,597,224

DRAPERY TRACK AND ROLLER ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 21 1950 ALfX/I/VDH? J 6 /41? w/v HARLE5 5. CHARRO/V Patented May 20,1952

DRAPERY TRACK AND ROLLER ASSEMBLY Charles Stanfield Charrom-Toronto, Ontario,- and Alexander James Garvin, Scarboro, Ontario,

Canada Application October 21, 1950, Serial No. 191,416

This invention relates to a drapery track and to means employed in combination therewith for suspending drapery over windows or the like.

Prior types of drapery track are generally derived from a track section similar in form to a structural I-beam wherein a pair of wheels or discs ride between the flanges of the beam-like section on either side of the web thereof and a metal loop forming an axis for each extends downwardly to form a member joining between the two. A particular disadvantageof. such construction is that it is not feasible to produce the same in a variety of colours for operability cannot be ensured if the track is painted. In any case, wear on painted parts will show to the under metal in time. Moreover, the small discs or rollers present relatively large side surfaces to the web of the section resulting in undue friction. Other types of drapery track departing from an I-beam type of section present some difiiculty in connecting the drapery hanger device to the'rolling means such as the wheels, discs, or the like employed, jamming of the device often being experienced. Another difliculty encountered with prior types of drapery track construction is the problem of joining pieces of track to ensure a smooth running past the joint as well as supplying suflicient strength therein.

Having regard to the foregoing other objects of the invention will be appreciated by a study of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings- Figure l is an enlarged sectional View of a drapery track according to the invention showing a joining bar therein along with suitable rollers and a drapery loop connecting device mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates the form of rollers and loop which may be employed in the track of the invention.

Figure 4 illustrates the assembly of the rollers and loop in the track.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of joining separate pieces of track and also indicating the method of suspending the track from a wall surface or the like.

Referring in more detail to the drawings, the drapery track of the invention is illustrated in Figure l and comprises a body It preferably extruded of a suitable aluminum alloy and generally of a sectional form conforming to the letter H. The side walls I I extend from the joining or cross 3 Claims. (CL 16-875) wall l2 upwardly to terminate in inwardly directed flanges [3' along: the upper edge thereof. upper region of the section, is designed to accommodate a joining bar M which may be threaded as at l5 to accommodate a screw l6 which passes through a hole H in a mounting bracket [8 to firmly support the track by gripping the flanges l3 between the mounting bracket l8 and the joining bar I 4.

The'lower portion of the track below the cross wall 12 is designed to accommodate suitable roller means l9 preferably in the form of spaced apart rollers joinedby an integral reduced diameter portion or axle 2|. The rollers 20 are ofa diameter less than the dimension between the cross wal1 l2 and the inwardly directed roller supporting flanges 22 whichextend inwardly from the lower edges 23 of the side walls H. It is important to observe that the flanges 22 extend inwardly to a projecting edge 24, which latter is in turn disposed inwardly of the inner surfaces 25 of the rollers 20. This is an important characteristic for a drapery loop 26 being fashioned of a simple loop of'wire as illustrated in Figure '3 is simply suspended on the axle 2| and is prevented from binding with the rollers by said projecting edge as indicated by the position of the loop illustrated by chain lines 21 in Figure 1.

Another feature of the loop 26 is that the suspending arm portion 28 is of small radius as compared with the radius of the drape hanging portion 29. By reason of this feature, the suspending arm portion cannot be twisted to bind on the surfaces 25 of the opposed rollers 20 since the depending portion of the loop will engage with the projecting edge 24 of the supporting flanges 22. It will thus be appreciated that the said projecting edges guard against binding in two directions of movement of the drapery loops 26. Moreover, it will be seen that by reason of the small diameter of the suspending portion of the loop members the rollers may crowd together along the track without interference between the upper portions of the drapery loops. The lower portions of relatively large radius will, however, tend to interfere with one another but in that free space below the slot of the track, so that the drapery loops may tip in various arrangements slightly to allow a slight overlapping of the lower end portions of the drapery loop.

It will be observed that the side walls ll of the drapery track are undulated in section. This is not mandatory for the contour of the outer surfaces which. may carry beading or any other suitable decoration as desired. Having regard inner radius of which is slightly greater than the radius of said axle, the median radius being not greater than one-half the combined radius of a roller and axle, arms forming a part of said loop member extending tangentially from the suspending portion thereof through said slot and divergin sufiiciently to provide engagement of The function of the roll pip channel is to allow. 1 free accommodationof a srnall spur 36 on each a roller, known as a pip in machine shop practice, and which is derived from the machining of such rollers in an automatic lathe or the like;

The incorporation of the roll pip'channel thus said arms withthe edges of said slot and entirely avoiding'binding of said arms with said rollers and binding of said suspending portion with said axle upon twisting of said loop member.

2 A drapery track and roller assembly as claimed in claim 1, and a free end. on'said loop formed, on a diameter larger than the diameter eliminates the necessity of grindingor otherwise;

finishing the outer surfaces 32 of the rollers 29.

The manner of joining e ry track of the Q i said track meansfor supporting said flanges and invention is illustrated in Figure '5, wherein the track 31 of thelform ofthe inventionis suspended from a mounting bracket 38 in the-manner illustrated in Figure 1.

In this case, thejoining bar 39 carrying a'screw. d0 threaded therein-projects from'the track 31 toreceive a tracking ,The slot t2 of the :latter. between the inwardly: directed flanges 43 thereof passes about the shank 44 of the screw 40 in assembly and theglatterv is tight-' ened down to bear upon the flanges 43 when the trackshave been brought into relationship. a V I 'One'form of drapery track according :to the invention has been disclosed in-detail in-order to facilitate an understanding of-the principles thereof. -The specific form of extruded track herein is subject to considerable modification in close assembled of one of said rollers. and formedon the outward ends of said arms to depend below said slot.

31. A "drapery "track and roller assembly as claimed in claim 1, side walls forming a part of enclosing said rollers,.and a roll'pip channel in saidside walls located :lengthwiseof said track and on! the. axial line of: said rollers designed to freely Iaccommodate without binding any small projections'extending'from the region of-the axis of the outer face of each roller.

CHARLES STANFIELD CHARRON. V ALEXANDER JAMES GARVIN.

REFERENCES orrnn I exterior contour and also in interior contour-from V thespecific form shown. a

What we claim as our invention is: d

L'A drapery track and roller assemblyfcome, prising in combination: a pair of spacedgapart rollers of predetermined diameter andacommon axle of relatively small diameter extend n gzthere-i between, track means including inwardly directed supporting flanges carrying said rollers thelterminal edges of said flanges being spacedtopr'o vide'a' slot therebetween of -a Width lessithan the distance between said rollers, a drapery loop; memberformed of a" rigid material of 'circu1ar 733.857 cross-section and suspended from'saidi'axle'by, 5O: a suspending portion having a curvature; the.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Smith Apr. 19,1892 Ramming Apr. 23, 1912 Glavin June 26, 1923 Hofimani; 'Apr. 15, 1924 Sarkisian June 17, 1930 Vallen Feb. 11, 1941 Hachtel Aug. 19, 1941 Veitch Sept. 26, 1950 Number r FOREIGN PATENTS country w I Date" Switzerland May 1, 1937 Germany Nov. 10, 1933 France May 23, 1932 France Aug. 23, 1937 Number I 7 189,369 587,968 

